An Offer She Can't Refuse (9 page)

‘Oh, no! I
like
Maximus,’ Theo said with a broad smile back. ‘Mama took me to a movie about a girl with very long hair. What was her name, Mama?’

‘Rapunzel,’ Tina supplied, barely stopping herself from rolling her eyes at what was bound to come next.

‘Rapunzel,’ he repeated. ‘But the best part of the movie was the horse. His name was Maximus and he was a great horse!’

‘I’m glad he was a great horse,’ Ari’s father said, amused by the connection.

‘He was so good at everything!’ Theo assured him. ‘And he saved them in the end, didn’t he, Mama?’

‘Yes, he did.’

Ari’s father crouched down to Theo’s eye level. ‘I think I must get hold of this movie. Maybe you and I could watch it together sometime. Would you like to see it again?’

Theo nodded happily.

‘Well, I’m not a horse but I can give you a ride over to the table.’

He swept his grandson up in his arms and trotted him to the table, making Theo bubble with laughter. It startled Tina that such a powerful man would be so playful. Her mother and Sophie were laughing, too—any awkwardness at meeting strangers completely broken. She glanced at Ari who was also looking on in amusement.

He quickly moved closer to her, murmuring, ‘Relax, Christina. We just want to make this a special night for Theo.’

‘Have you told them of your plan to marry me?’ she asked quickly, wanting to know if she was being sized up as a possible daughter-in-law.

‘Yes, but there will be no pressure for you to agree tonight. This is a different beginning for us, Christina, with our families involved, because it is about family this time.’

His eyes burned serious conviction into hers.

It rattled her deep-seated prejudice against believing anything he said. She sucked in a deep breath and tried to let her inner angst go. This
was
a different scenario between them with their families involved. She decided to judge the night on its merits, see how she felt about it afterwards. To begin with she told herself to be glad that Ari’s parents were the kind of people Theo could take to because there was no avoiding the fact they would feature in his future.

Maximus Zavros had seated Theo in the chair on the left of his own at the head of the table. Sophie ushered Tina’s mother to the chair next to Theo’s and to the right of her own chair at the foot of the table. Ari guided Tina to the chair opposite Theo’s, putting her next to his father before sitting beside her.

As soon as they were all seated a man-servant appeared, bringing two platters of hors d’oeuvres. Another followed, bringing jugs of iced water and orange juice.

Ari’s father turned to her, pleasantly asking, ‘Can I persuade you to try one of our local wines?’

She shook her head. ‘No, thank you. I prefer water.’

He looked at her mother. ‘Helen?’

‘I’m happy to try whatever you suggest, Maximus. I’ve tasted two of the wines that were sent to my room and they were quite splendid.’

‘Ah, I’m glad they pleased your palate.’ He signalled to the servant to pour the chosen wine into glasses while he himself filled Tina’s glass with water and Theo’s with orange juice. He beamed a smile at his grandson. ‘Ari tells me you can swim like a fish.’

‘I love swimming,’ was his enthusiastic reply.

‘Did your Mama teach you?’

Theo looked at Tina, unsure of the answer. ‘Did you, Mama?’

‘No. I took you to tadpole classes when you were only nine months old. You’ve always loved being in water and you learnt to swim very young.’ She turned to Maximus. ‘It’s important for any child to be able to swim in Australia. There are so many backyard pools and every year there are cases of young children drowning. Also, we live near Bondi Beach, so I particularly wanted Theo to be safe in the water.’

‘Very sensible,’ Maximus approved, nodding to the pool beyond the pergola. ‘There will be no danger for him here, either.’

That was just the start of many subtle and not so subtle points made to her throughout the evening, by both of Ari’s parents. They were clearly intent on welcoming their grandson into their life, assuring her he would be well taken care of and greatly loved. And not once was there any hint of criticism of her for keeping them in ignorance of him until now.

She fielded a few testing questions from Maximus about her own life, but for the most part Ari’s parents set out to charm and Tina noticed her mother having a lovely time with Sophie, discussing the forthcoming wedding and marriage in general.

After the hors d’oeuvres, they were served souvlaki and salad which Theo had informed Ari on the boat was his favourite meal. Then came the birthday cake and Ari reminded Theo to make a wish as he blew out the candles—all five of them in one big burst. Everyone clapped and cheered at his success.

The cake was cut and slices of it were served around the table. It was a rich, many layered chocolate cake, moist and delicious, and Theo gobbled his piece up, the first to finish.

‘Will I get my wish?’ he asked Ari.

‘I hope so, Theo. Although if you were wishing for a horse like Maximus, that might be asking for too much.’

‘Is wishing for a Papa too much?’

Tina’s hands clenched in her lap. Her lungs seized up. The silence around the table felt loaded with emotional dynamite.

‘No, that’s not asking for too much,’ Ari answered decisively.

Her mother leaned over and pulled Theo onto her lap, giving him a cuddle. ‘You miss your Papou, don’t you, darling?’ She gave Sophie a rueful smile. ‘My husband died a year ago. He adored Theo. We didn’t have sons, you see, and having a grandson was like a beautiful gift.’

‘Yes. A very beautiful gift,’ Sophie repeated huskily, her gaze lingering on Theo for a moment before shooting a look of heart-tugging appeal at Tina.

‘I think with Ari giving him such a wonderful time today.’ her mother rattled on.

‘Ari is very good with children,’ Sophie broke in. ‘His nephews love being with him. He will make a wonderful father.’

Ostensibly she was speaking to her mother but Tina knew the words were for her. Maybe they were true. He might very well be a wonderful father, but being a wonderful husband was something else.

‘Maximus and I very much want to see him settled down with his own family,’ Sophie carried on.

‘Mama, don’t push,’ Ari gently chided.

She heaved a sigh which drew Tina’s mother into a string of sympathetic comments about young people taking their time about getting married these days.

Tina sat in frozen silence until Ari’s father leaned towards her and asked, ‘Who is managing your family restaurant while you are away, Christina?’

She had to swallow hard to moisten her throat before answering, ‘The head chef and the head waiter.’

‘You trust them to do it well?’

‘Yes. My father set it up before he died that both men get a percentage of the profits. It’s in their best interests to keep it running successfully.’

‘Ah! A man of foresight, your father,’ he said with satisfaction.

Tina
knew
he was thinking the restaurant could keep running successfully without her. ‘It needs an overall manager and my father entrusted me with that job,’ she said with defiant pride.

‘Which is a measure of his respect for your abilities, Christina. But as a Greek father myself, I know it was not what he wanted for you.’

His amber eyes burned that certain knowledge into her heart. There was no denying it. Her father had not been against his daughters having a career of their choice but he had believed a woman was only truly fulfilled with the love of a good husband and the love of their children.

It hurt, being reminded of her failure to live up to his expectations of her, but the big word in her father’s beliefs was love, and Ari did not love her. She faced his father with her own burning determination. ‘I have the right to choose what I do with my life. My father respected that, as well.’

‘I don’t think the choice is so unequivocal when you are a mother, Christina,’ he shot back at her. ‘The rights of your child have to be considered.’

‘Papa …’ Ari said in a low warning voice.

‘She must understand this, Ari,’ was the quick riposte.

‘I do,’ Tina told him flatly. ‘And I am considering them.’ She lowered her voice so as not to be overheard at the other end of the table as she fiercely added, ‘I hope you do, too, because I
am
Theo’s mother and I always will be.’

She would not allow them to take over her son. She would concede visits but knew she would hate every minute Theo was away from her. Not all their wealth and caring would make any difference to the hole that would leave in her life until he returned to her. Tears pricked her eyes. Her head was swimming with all the difficulties that lay ahead.

‘Please, forgive me my trespasses,’ Ari’s father said gruffly. ‘You’re a fine mother, Christina. And that will always be respected by our family. The boy is a credit to you. How can I put it? I want very much to enjoy more of him.’

A warm hand slid over one of her clenched fists and gently squeezed. ‘It’s all right, Christina,’ Ari murmured, ‘You’re amongst friends, not enemies.’

She stared down at his hand, biting her lips as she tried to fight back the tears. He’d offered his hand in marriage, which was the easiest way out of the custody issue, but how could she take it when she felt so vulnerable to what he could do to her—twisting up her life all over again?

She swallowed hard to ease the choking sensation in her throat and without looking at either man, said, ‘I want to go back to the resort now, Ari. It’s been a long day.’

‘Of course.’ Another gentle squeeze of her hand. ‘It’s been good of you to let us spend this time together.’

‘Yes. A wonderful evening,’ his father chimed in. ‘Thank you, Christina.’

She nodded, not wanting to be drawn into another stressful conversation. She felt painfully pressured as it was. Her gaze lifted to check Theo who was now nodding off on her mother’s lap.

Ari rose from his chair. ‘Helen, Mama … Christina is tired and it looks like Theo is ready for bed, as well. It’s time to call it a night. I’ll carry him out to the car, Helen.’

Ari’s parents accompanied them out to the car, walking beside her mother who thanked them profusely for their hospitality. All three expressed pleasure in meeting up again at the wedding. Both Maximus and Sophie dropped goodnight kisses on Theo’s forehead before Ari passed him over to Tina in the back seat. She thanked them for the birthday party and the car door was finally closed on it, relieving some of the tension in her chest.

Theo slept all the way back to the resort and the conversation between Ari and her mother in the front seats was conducted in low murmurs. Tina sat in silence, hugging her child, feeling intensely possessive of him and already grieving over how much she would have to part from him.

Having arrived at El Greco, Ari once again lifted Theo into his arms and insisted on carrying him to their accommodation. Tina did not protest, knowing that to her mother this was the natural thing for a man to do. The problem came when she unlocked her door and instead of passing Theo to her, Ari carried him straight into her room.

‘Which bed?’ he asked.

She dashed past him to turn back the covers on Theo’s bed and Ari gently laid him down and tucked him in, dropping a kiss on his forehead before straightening up and smiling down at his sleeping son, making Tina’s heart contract at the memory of Theo’s wish for a Papa. He had one. And very soon he had to know it.

Ari turned to her and she instantly felt a flood of electricity tingling through her entire body. He was too close to her, dangerously close, exuding the sexual magnetism that she should be immune to but wasn’t. Being in a bedroom with Ari Zavros, virtually alone with him, was a bad place to be. She quickly backed off, hurrying to the door, waving for him to leave.

He followed but paused beside her, causing inner havoc again. He raised a hand to touch her cheek and she flinched away from the contact. ‘Just go, Ari,’ she said harshly. ‘You’ve had your day.’

He frowned at her unfriendliness. ‘I only wanted to thank you, Christina.’

She forced her voice to a reasonable tone. ‘Okay, but you can do that without touching me.’

‘Is my touch so repellent to you?’

Panic tore through her at how vulnerable she might be to it. She stared hard at him, desperate not to show him any weakness. ‘Don’t push it, Ari. I’ve had enough, today.’

He nodded. ‘I’ll call you in the morning.’

‘No! Tomorrow is
my
family day,’ she said firmly. ‘Cassandra will be joining us and so will all our relatives from the mainland. We’ll meet again at the wedding.’

For one nerve-wracking moment she thought he would challenge her decision. It surprised her when he smiled and said, ‘Then I’ll look forward to the wedding. Goodnight, Christina.’

‘Goodnight,’ she repeated automatically, watching him in a daze of confusion as he walked away from her.

He hadn’t done anything
wrong
all day. For the most part, he’d been perfectly charming. And she still
wanted
him, despite the grief he’d given her. There had never been any other man who made her feel what he did. But he probably made every woman feel the same way. It meant nothing. It would be foolish to let it cloud her judgement.

When Theo was told that Ari was his Papa, he would want them to be all together, living happily ever after.

But that was a fairy-tale and this story didn’t have the right ingredients. The prince did not love the princess, so how could there be a happy ever after?

Tina fiercely told herself she must not lose sight of that, no matter what!

CHAPTER EIGHT

A
RI
stood beside George in the church, impatient for the marriage service to be over, his mind working through what had to be accomplished with Christina. Theo was not a problem. His son had grinned broadly at him as he had carried the cushion with the wedding rings up the aisle. He would want his Papa. But Christina had only smiled at George, keeping her gaze averted from him.